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"Well hell Ed, it's hard work for six to eight months on a drive in all kinds of weather, killing Indians and chasin' steers all over the countryside. A man has a right to celebrate what he done, don’t you think."
"I guess. But at the rate I'm going I guess I'll never get married." Ed sighed.
"Well, who knows, night Joe."
"Night Ed."
Later, when they bedded down, Moon watched them closely. Then he pulled away from Lissa and told her softly, "We must go now."
She nodded.
They quietly climbed down, and when he reached bottom ground, he reached to take her down. It brought them close and he stared into her eyes. "Come," he barely uttered.
He took her hand and led her out of the camp. From there they ran for several miles until she began to stumble over things, rocks, logs. It was dark there was little moonlight and she was clumsy in those boots.
When he thought them safe, he stopped.
"We'll camp here and have no fire tonight." He told her.
She nodded.
"Are you tired?" he asked her.
"Yes, and sleepy." She told him. "I'd rather run or walk than stand still in a tree that long." She chuckled.
"Good, get some sleep and first light we will leave." He told her, handing her the blanket.
When they laid down, she finally asked the question he was dreading all along, "So why'd you kiss me?"
"I told you, it wasn't intended to be a kiss." He frowned, wondering why she was still harping on the mistake he made. "I'd have thought you would have known that, or at least forgotten it by now."
"Maybe that was your intention, but I certainly know when I've been kissed." She told him and turned away from him. "And a woman never forgets a kiss."
"It was meant to protect, to shut you up, so we would not be found." He told her. "But in case you don't know it, you weren't exactly still yourself."
"You could have put your hand over my mouth, instead." She protested turning back to look at him.
"Alright, I apologize. Happy now?" he asked.
"No! I didn't want an apology."
"What did you want?" he asked softly, his soft lips curling a bit.
She sent him a frown, "Never mind, goodnight."
He chuckled and rolled over away from her.
She turned to stare at his back. "Those men back there, seemed harmless, why did we wait until they were asleep?"
He turned to look at her. "Because my skin is different than yours and they would have a very wrong idea about us being together. Despite the fact that you trust me, and you do not seem to see color in people, it is not a usual thing for an Indian man to be with a white woman, in any circumstance. And I'm sure you heard them say they killed Indians. They'd probably think I took you hostage or something."
She nodded, "I guess you are right, they did say that. It's just they seemed so normal."
"They were probably good men. But even good men think wrong things when something doesn't look right. And I'm afraid we don't look right, especially with that torn dress."
"Well, I'm sorry, but I had no time to change clothes."
"Yes, I know that."
